


The Natural Instincts of Japan's Legendary Sea Otter

by kitkatty



Category: Free!
Genre: Gen, Samezuka shenanigans, never apologise for a pun, ohohohhoho I'm so clever, otterboy being otterly embarassing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-31
Updated: 2014-07-31
Packaged: 2018-02-11 05:03:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2054679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitkatty/pseuds/kitkatty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kink Meme fill: Whenever he sleeps in the same bed/futon/whatever as someone, Momotarou holds the other person's hands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Natural Instincts of Japan's Legendary Sea Otter

**Author's Note:**

> New season of Free! means more prompt fills from me! This is not the first prompt I've filled for this season but it's the first of several I'll be posting here.
> 
> Full prompt: <http://iwatobiswimclub.dreamwidth.org/2701.html?thread=2988429#cmt2988429>
> 
> I srsly couldn't resist this, it was too cute!! I love Samezuka shenanigans, and Momo is such a dork, and he gets better/dorkier with each episode. Enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> **ETA: SOMEONE DREW ART FOR IT GO LOOK AT THE CUTEST THING EVERRRRRRRR<https://twitter.com/thatdamnotaku/status/495316504800690176> mega awesome props to @thatdamnotaku on twitter what a great drawing heeeeeehehehehe <3____<3**

Ai sighed as he found his seat next to Momotarou on the bus. He glanced at Rin chatting happily with Sousuke, and tried not to be too jealous. He didn't notice Momotarou's face inching closer to his.

"What are you scowling about?"

Ai jumped and nearly smacked Momotarou in the face. "S-sorry Mikoshiba-kun! I just... I usually sit with Matsuoka-senpai, we did for every trip last year since we're roommates, I was just a bit disappointed. But it makes sense for them to sit together, they are best friends."

"What, am I not good enough for you?"

"Ah! I-I didn't mean it like that, Mikoshiba-kun!"

"Well, you're stuck with me! We even get to share a room! We can stay up late talking about girls!" He then made minimal effort to lower his voice before continuing, "you'll have tell me more about the captains sister."

Momotarou then let out a very familiar guffaw, at which point Rin turned around and grabbed him by the hair.

"Ah ah ah! Captain let go!"

"Concentrate on improving your stroke this weekend, we aren't on some camping trip, this is training!" He then let go and turned back around to face the front of the bus, Sousuke chucking at his side.

Momotarou rubbed his head and lowered his voice. "Arg, the captain is so mean.... he has such a cute sister and he doesn't bring her along."

Ai sighed and made himself comfortable as the bus started to move. "It wouldn't really make sense for her to come to this practice, since she manages the Iwatobi swim team..."

The bus ride turned out to be rather uneventful, with Momotarou chatting animatedly while Ai just nodded in response. Soon enough, the swim team had arrived at the training facility, and they all piled off the bus. Rin addressed the team one last time before they were dismissed to their rooms, and quickly grabbed Momotarou's sweater by the hood as he tried to sneak off.

"You are coming with us."

"WHAT?! What did I do!"

"I saw you eyeing the women's change room. I'm gonna have to keep close eye on you all weekend, aren't I?"

"W-... no, captain, I'll be good!"

"Not buying it." He started to drag Momotarou down towards their room. "Ai, you're with us too"

"OK, Matsuoka-senpai!"

Surprisingly enough, Momotarou settled down when they got to their room, and fell asleep flat on his back immediately after setting up his futon. Ai was glad for the peace and quiet, and rolled out his futon next to him.

"I like him way better when he's unconscious." Rin grumbled as he set up his futon, and Sousuke laughed in response.

"I guess he was all talk about staying up late."

"A-ah! Mikoshiba-kun you startled me!" Rin and Sousuke glanced over at the noise to see that Momotarou had apparently grabbed at Ai. Except that he was still sound asleep. "Uh.... Mikoshiba-kun?" Ai panicked as he tried to pull his hand out of his death grip, but to no avail, Momotarou was not letting go. He glanced helplessly to Rin, who had doubled over laughing, and then Sousuke, who was pulling out his phone to snap a picture.

"S-senpai! He won't let go!" Ai's face grew deeper and deeper red as Sousuke took a bunch of photos, grinning and mumbling something about blackmail.

Rin was now rolled on his back laughing. "He really is like an otter!"

After several minutes of laughing, Rin got a hold of himself and took pitty on Ai. "All right, let's see if I can't pry him off you." Rin tried to wedge his fingers in between they other's hands, but it seemed this was not going to be so easy. Sousuke continued to snap pictures. "Dude, stop that and come help, his hand is like a vice."

Ai whimpered at Rin's side. "It's starting to hurt, senpai..."

Sousuke finally put his phone down and approached the group to asses the problem. "You'll probably just have to sleep like that."

"EH?!"

"Sousuke, don't be a dick."

"Its getting late, and if you can't get him to let go I won't do any better. I think the only thing to do now is just go to sleep, maybe he'll let go in the middle of the night."

Rin huffed and ruffled Ai's hair. "Well I won't give up that easily." Rin and Ai twisted and pulled at Momotarou's hand as much as they could without risk of breaking his bones, but he was absolutely not going to let go. Sighing, they had to admit defeat. Sousuke grinned at them as he lounged on his futon.

"Sorry, Ai, I think you'll have to put up with it for tonight... We'll shove him in the corner tomorrow night..."

Ai felt about ready to cry. "O-ok Matsuoka-senpai...."

Sighing and moving to his futon, Rin turned off the light and then got himself comfortable. "Just try to sleep, OK Ai?" He promptly swatted Sousuke in the chest when he snickered. 

Ai wondered if maybe he would just die in his sleep and save himself the embarrassment of having to hold hands with Momotarou all night. At least once they stopped trying free his hand, Momotarou's grip loosened. Ai bit back a sigh and made himself as comfortable as he could, trying to think about his comics instead of the grip on his hand. Eventually exhaustion took him, and he fell asleep.

\-------

"EUGH, NITORI! WHAT IS YOUR DEAL?!" 

Woken with a start, Ai bolted up in his covers. "W-wha?"

Rin, zipping up his track jacket, kicked Momotarou in the head. "I was gonna let him sleep in, idiot."

"He was holding my hand! Gross!" At that moment, Sousuke crouched behind Momotarou and clamped an intimidating hand down on his shoulder. Then, holding his phone up in front of the younger boys face he pressed play on a video. Momotarou's face quickly drained of all its colour. Ai decided to take his senpai up on their charity and threw the blankets over his head and tried to go back to sleep, glad to finally have his hand to himself again.

"So, Mikoshiba, how about you join us for a run, and I list all the training you'll do this weekend, and maybe if you're good,when Monday comes around this video will have disappeared." Sousuke hovered over Momotarou menacingly as he spoke.

Rin sighed and opened the door. "Mikoshiba, it takes us 8 minutes to do one lap on the beach, I expect you to be waiting when we pass back around to join us for our consecutive laps." Sousuke then released his grip on Momotarou's shoulder and joined Rin as they headed out to the beach. As soon as the door closed, Momotarou shrieked and contorted into some random position of flailing limbs on the floor.

"THATS SO UNCOOL, IF THAT GETS OUT MY REPUTATION IS RUINED!" 

Ai just sighed and peaked at him from under his covers. "You'd better get dressed, you've only got about 5 minutes, it's a 3 minute walk to the beach."

Momotarou whipped around to point an accusatory finger at Ai, but faltered, his face lighting up in embarrassment as he remembered the video. Instead he grabbed his track clothes, scrambled to change, and ran out the door. Ai could hear him screaming all the way to the beach. They would probably have to apologize to the other residents for the noise at 5:30am.

\-------

Later in the day, the team was hard at work in the pool swimming laps. Momotarou just finish his laps and climbed out of the pool to see Rin talking to his sister. His face lit up as he strode over.

"Gou-san! How great of you to come by and support me!"

Gou spared him an exasperated smile as Rin rolled his eyes. "She's not here for us, Iwatobi is having a training weekend here as well. Now get back to the pool!"

"Aw, but I just finished my laps! I could use a tall glass of water." He waggled his eyebrows in Gou's direction. Then, suddenly, Sousuke has behind her and pulling out his phone.

"Kou, how would you like to check out this video I have of-" he didn't get to finish his sentence before Momotarou shrieked and ran back to the poolside. Rin shouted after him, "Mikoshiba, no running poolside, 10 more laps!" Momotarou began to whine loudly till Sousuke waved his phone in his hand, and he shut up immediately. Gou sighed and said her farewells, as her team would be returning from their 3rd round of the day soon.

The rest of the weekend passed fairly quickly, with the team pushing themselves hard on Sunday and returning to the school in the evening. After a quick pep talk, Rin sent everyone home, insisting on buying Ai a drink at the vending machine by way of an apology for having to deal with Momotarou all weekend.

Come the end of Monday practice, Sousuke offered his phone to an extremely anxious Momotarou. "You can delete it yourself." He eagerly took the phone and deleted the video and all the pictures. Upon sending the final image to its grave, Momotarou passed the phone back and whooped as he ran away.

"FREEDOM!"

"MIKOSHIBA HOW THICK IS YOUR HEAD, I SAID NO RUNNING POOLSIDE!" But the fiery redhead was already bursting out the doors. Rin sighed and glanced sidelong at Sousuke. "You totally have copies don't you." Sousuke just grinned in reply, to which Rin sighed again. "Ah, poor Ai..."


End file.
